Pope’s Challenge to British Attitudes

It was probably inevitable that the state visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Britain would spark contention between various factions who either support or, for various reasons, are opposed to what the Pope represents.

View some of the opinions expressed before the Pope’s visit.

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Even within the church, Pope Benedict has his critics but the simple fact is that the first day of his visit to Scotland saw many thousands of supporters gathered, both catholic and non-catholic, to welcome him.

They lined the streets of Edinburgh as the Pope arrived and was greeted by the queen.  There were many thousands more in Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park, where they eagerly awaited the arrival of the Pope to conduct an open-air mass.

Regardless of differences in doctrinal view, the Pope stands as a representation of the Christian faith in the minds of Christians and non-Christians.  He heads up an international organisation that has its faults but which owes its very existence to the fact that so very many people around the world not only recognise the existence of God but for whom God has an essential and central place in their lives.

No doubt the many voices that today are raised in opposition to the very idea of God are genuine and sincere people who have used their reasoning faculties to arrive at their conclusions.  But reason is a poor tool for establishing whether or not God exists.  After all, in every walk of life we see disagreement – often strong disagreement – between opposing views that are based on reason.

Consider for example differences in the spheres of politics, industrial relations, economies, international relations, global warming to name but a few.

Something of the order of 3000 years ago, David who was the king of Israel wrote “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ (Psalm 14 v1)

That wasn’t the result of reasoning but of simple observation because he saw that without a belief in God, the human race tended to become increasingly corrupt in its ways.

He wasn’t alone in his view.  1000 years later, Paul the apostle – a man with a brilliant mind – expressed much the same sentiment in a letter that he wrote to the Christian church in Rome.  We won’t quote his words here because they were so strong and forthright that some might be offended but for those who wish to read them they are recorded in Romans Ch1 V18-32.

The simple fact is that it is wiser to start from a position of believing in God and then see where reason takes you rather than starting from an atheistic position.

Today, the existence of God might be open to debate on the basis of human reason but if God does exist, then one day we will all know for certain.  It would be prudent for everyone, therefore, to ensure they are well prepared for such an eventuality.

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